Gregoire asks to see state bridge inspections

In reaction to the massive bridge collapse in Minneapolis Wednesday, Gov. Christine Gregoire wants to take a look at the state's latest bridge inspections, the governor's office said today.

Gregoire has asked the state Department of Transportation (DOT) for a report outlining the results of those inspections.

"Our priority is to ensure the safety and maintenance of infrastructure in our state," she said in a statement.

The bridge collapse has sparked a nationwide scare, but it won't trigger immediate changes in this state's bridge-inspection process, according to members of the state transportation department.

Lloyd Brown, a DOT spokesman, said that until more is known about what caused the Interstate 35W bridge to buckle, inspectors here won't have anything new to look for while checking Washington's bridges.

Brown said that despite some concerns with a few structures, "we really feel like our bridges are in really good condition."

Jugesh Kapur, chief bridge engineer at the DOT, estimated it could take six months to a year before an official report comes out on the cause of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, although preliminary results will be released sooner.

The Minneapolis bridge collapse may not wind up sparking a change in inspections at all, but Kapur "wouldn't be surprised if it did."

The state has eight full-time inspection teams, led by a registered engineer, who inspect bridges each day. Of Washington's 3,000 bridges, each is checked every other year.

The viaduct — a structure Kapur says keeps him awake at night — is checked at least every six months, said Kapur. His other concern, Highway 520 where it crosses Lake Washington, is checked every other year.

Both structures are vulnerable to natural hazards, like earthquakes, wind and waves, said Kapur.

The collapsed Minnesota bridge is a steel-truss structure supported by concrete piers. Other steel-truss bridges in the state include the Aurora Bridge and the Lake Washington Ship Canal Bridge. With 12 lanes, the Ship Canal Bridge is much larger than the eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge.

Seattle Times reporter Mike Lindblom contributed to this report.

Christina Siderius: csiderius@seattletimes.com